Multi-beacon meeting attendee proximity tracking

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus for accurately determining whether a mobile electronic device associated with a user is at a meeting location comprise: initiating a scan for a first beacon signal emanating from a first beacon located at the meeting location; detecting the first beacon signal; confirming that the mobile electronic device is within a predetermined proximity of the first beacon based on the first beacon signal; and responsive to confirming that the mobile electronic device is within a predetermined proximity of the first beacon activating a trigger system enabling further resolution of the proximity of the mobile electronic device to the meeting location, wherein the trigger system is located at an entry to the meeting location, and activating a confirmation system to confirm that the mobile electronic device is at the meeting location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/893,089 entitled “UNIFIED CONFERENCING,” filed Oct. 18,2013, the disclosure thereof incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to the conduct of teleconference meetings.

BACKGROUND

Teleconferencing technologies have existed for some years. Suchtechnologies include on-demand collaboration, online meeting, webconferencing and videoconferencing applications that are geared towardenabling face to face and/or real time communication between remotelylocated participants.

Many teleconferencing products are known in the industry. Examples ofsuch products comprise systems like Cisco's WebEx or Microsoft's Lynctechnologies. Such products enable the transmission of informationbetween remote users using voice, video, desktop sharing, and a widerange of other multi-media technologies.

In current technologies the set-up of such meetings is somewhatlaborious and primitive. In one example, a meeting can be scheduled fora specific location having a scheduled start time and a list of proposedmeeting attendee's. As the meeting time approaches, each remote attendeeis contacted and connected to the meeting one at a time.Contemporaneously each of the local attendees arrive at the meetinguntil the meeting is ready to start. At that point a roll call isconducted to determine who is in the meeting and who may not be in themeeting. If the meeting attendees are satisfied that the correctattendees (and enough attendees) are present the meeting can commence.In some cases additional participants will join the meetingnecessitating an updated roll call and otherwise disrupting the meeting.Although the existing technologies accommodate the purposes of suchremote teleconferencing, improvements can be made.

SUMMARY

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features a method foraccurately determining whether a mobile electronic device is at apredetermined destination, the method comprising: scanning for a firstbeacon signal emanating from a first beacon located at the destination;detecting the first beacon signal; confirming proximity to the firstbeacon based on the first beacon signal; responsive to confirmingproximity to the first beacon, scanning for a second trigger beaconsignal emanating from a second trigger beacon located proximal to thedestination; confirming proximity to the second beacon based on thesecond beacon signal; responsive to confirming proximity to the secondbeacon, scanning for a third confirmation beacon signal emanating from athird beacon located at the destination; confirming proximity to thethird beacon based on the third beacon signal; responsive to confirmingproximity to the third beacon, generating a message announcing that themobile electronic device is at the destination.

Embodiments of the method can include one or more of the followingfeatures. In some embodiments, the destination comprises a meetinglocation for a teleconference meeting; the mobile electronic device isassociated with a meeting attendee; and generating the message comprisesgenerating a message announcing that the attendee is in theteleconference meeting. In some embodiments, the meeting locationcomprises a room where the teleconference meeting is to be conducted;the first beacon is located inside the room; the second trigger beaconis located at an entrance to the room; and the third beacon is locatedinside the room. In some embodiments, confirming proximity to the firstbeacon comprises: comparing the first beacon signal with a thresholdcondition, wherein responsive to the threshold condition is met, theproximity to the first beacon is confirmed. In some embodiments,scanning for the second trigger beacon signal comprises: increasing ascan rate of the scanning for a specified period of time; responsive tonot confirming the proximity to the second beacon within the specifiedperiod of time, reducing the scan rate; and responsive to confirming theproximity to the second beacon within the specified period of time,initiating the scanning for the third confirmation beacon signal. Insome embodiments, confirming proximity to the third confirmation beaconcomprises: comparing the third confirmation beacon signal with a thirdthreshold condition, wherein responsive to the third threshold conditionbeing met, the proximity to the third confirmation beacon is confirmed;and transmitting the generated message to a meeting coordinator. In someembodiments, comparing the first beacon signal with the first thresholdcondition comprises measuring a signal strength for the first beaconsignal, wherein the first threshold condition comprises a first relativesignal strength indicator (RSSI) value, and wherein the first thresholdcondition is met when the signal strength for the first beacon signalexceeds the first RSSI value; and comparing the third confirmationbeacon signal with the third threshold condition comprises measuring asignal strength for the third confirmation beacon signal, wherein thethird threshold condition comprises a third RSSI value, and wherein thethird threshold condition is met when the signal strength for the thirdconfirmation beacon signal exceeds the third RSSI value. In someembodiments, the third beacon is the same as the first beacon andwherein the first RSSI value is less than the third RSSI value. In someembodiments, the first beacon signal comprises a Bluetooth signal andwherein the third beacon comprises one of an optical signal or a soundsignal. In some embodiments, the first beacon signal comprises aBluetooth signal and wherein the transmitted message is configured asone of a wireless message or a cellular telephone message. In someembodiments, the transmitted message is transmitted to a meetingcoordinator system and can be used to track meeting participation statusfor meeting participants. In some embodiments, initiating the scan forthe first beacon signal is in response to a prompt by a calendar eventidentifying that a teleconference meeting is to occur at thepredetermined destination.

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features a method foraccurately determining whether a mobile electronic device associatedwith a user is at a meeting location, the method comprising: initiatinga scan for a first beacon signal emanating from a first beacon locatedat the meeting location; detecting the first beacon signal; confirmingthat the mobile electronic device is within a predetermined proximity ofthe first beacon based on the first beacon signal; and responsive toconfirming that the mobile electronic device is within a predeterminedproximity of the first beacon activating a trigger system enablingfurther resolution of the proximity of the mobile electronic device tothe meeting location, wherein the trigger system is located at an entryto the meeting location, and activating a confirmation system to confirmthat the mobile electronic device is at the meeting location.

Embodiments of the method can include one or more of the followingfeatures. In some embodiments, activating the trigger system comprises:activating an entry access system located at an entry to the meetinglocation. In some embodiments, the entry access system comprises an RFIDentry access system. In some embodiments, the confirmation systemcomprises a second confirmation beacon located within the meetinglocation and which emanates a second confirmation beacon signal; andactivating the confirmation system comprises scanning for the secondconfirmation beacon signal, detecting the second confirmation beaconsignal, and confirming proximity to the second confirmation beacon basedon the second confirmation beacon signal; and wherein the method furthercomprises generating a message announcing that the mobile electronicdevice is at the meeting location, and transmitting the message to ameeting coordination system capable of tracking the participation statusof the user.

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features a mobile electronicdevice configured to determine whether the device is at a teleconferencemeeting location, the predetermined mobile electronic device comprising:a receiver; a transmitter; a memory for storing data; a processor forexecuting computer readable instructions, the processor comprising agross proximity module that enables, identification of a meeting timeand the teleconference meeting location; identification of a firstbeacon located at the teleconference meeting location, wherein the firstbeacon is configured to transmit a first beacon signal; the receipt ofan alert at a time prior to the meeting time; responsive to the alert,initiating a scan for the first beacon signal; confirmation that themobile electronic device is at a first proximity to the teleconferencemeeting location; an intermediate proximity module that enables,activating a trigger system affirming that the mobile electronic deviceis at a second proximity to the teleconference meeting location whereinthe second proximity is closer to the teleconference meeting locationthan the first proximity; a confirmation proximity module that enables,upon affirmation by the trigger system that the mobile electronic deviceis at the second proximity to the meeting location, scanning for a thirdconfirmation beacon signal emanating from a third beacon located at thedestination; confirmation that the mobile electronic device is at themeeting location; and a meeting participation status module thatenables, upon confirming that the mobile electronic device is at themeeting location, generating a message announcing that the mobileelectronic device is at the meeting location, and transmitting themessage announcing that the mobile electronic device is at the meetinglocation to a meeting coordinator that updates meeting participation forthe meeting. Some embodiments comprise the meeting location comprises anentry access system that enables the detecting of the mobile electronicdevice at an entrance to the meeting location; and the intermediateproximity module further enables activating the entry access system. Insome embodiments, the entry access system comprises an RFID entry accesssystem. In some embodiments, a second trigger beacon is located proximalto the meeting location: and the intermediate proximity module furtherenables scanning for a second trigger beacon signal emanating from thesecond trigger beacon, and confirming the second proximity to the secondbeacon responsive to a signal strength for the second trigger beaconsignal exceeding a relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) value.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will beapparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following detailed description will be more readily understood inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 comprises a system diagram illustrating one embodiment of a smartautomated teleconferencing system.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram describing a method of automated trackingparticipation status of various meeting participants.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram illustrating an embodiment of a smartautomated teleconferencing system that employs a beaconing system toenable context based proximity location and that enables the tracking ofmeeting participation.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram describing a method of context based proximitylocation and automated tracking of meeting participation status.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram describing a method of operating a meetingorganizer to automatically set up and conduct a teleconference.

FIG. 6 is a system diagram illustrating an embodiment of a smartautomated teleconferencing system that employs a beaconing system toenable multi beacon proximity location and that enables the tracking ofmeeting participation.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram describing a method of operating a multi-beaconproximity location system to enable location determination usingpersonal mobile electronic devices and enable the tracking of meetingparticipation.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram describing a method of determining speakeridentity during a teleconferencing event.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile electronic device suchas a meeting participant may carry on their person.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an exemplary general purpose computer thatcan operate many of the systems described herein.

In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like structuralelements. Also, the depictions in the drawings are not necessarily toscale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments set forth herein below are to be taken as illustrativerather than limiting. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that various changes and modifications in form anddetail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure.

Techniques for the automated conduct of a teleconference are disclosed.As used herein, teleconferencing includes any communication ofinformation between remotely located participants. In general,teleconferencing refers to the live exchange and mass articulation ofinformation among several persons and machines remote from one anotherbut linked by a telecommunications system. Terms such as audioconferencing, telephone conferencing and phone conferencing are alsosometimes used to refer to teleconferencing. Telecommunications systemscan support multi-media teleconferencing by providing one or more of thefollowing: audio, video, augmented reality, and/or data services by oneor more means, such as telephone, computer, telegraph, teletypewriter,radio, and television.

FIG. 1 depicts a “smart” conferencing system according to oneembodiment. FIG. 1 shows a teleconferencing system 101, also referred toas teleconferencing gateway or access point. A typical conferencingsystem 101 includes hardware sufficient to connect remote conferenceparticipants to a teleconference and enable communication among them.Such conferencing systems can facilitate connections to the Internet toenable VoIP communication, a private branch exchange (PBX) system,and/or connection with telephony systems (e.g., PSTN) as well as thefull range of other information communication systems.

Such conferencing systems 101 can be as simple as a specially configuredPC board installed on a computer, a computer with software installed toenable teleconferencing, or the like. More elaborate systems having moreintegrated components can also be used. Examples include systems havingInternet proxies, cameras to facilitate video conferencing, audio soundsystems, as well as other associated devices and systems. One example ofa system capable of utilizing this embodiment is a Polycom HDX producedby Polycom, Inc. headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

Here the conferencing system 101 is located at a meeting location. Inone example the meeting location can be a meeting room MR operating as abase station for a teleconference event. The conferencing system 101 isconfigured to operate through a number of communication hubs enablingconnection of remote conference participants. As depicted here, theconferencing system 101 is connected with a public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN) 103 which enables telephonic connection with one or moreremotely located meeting participants (104-1, 104-2) allowing thoseparticipants to take part in a teleconference meeting.

In another alternative, the remotely located meeting participants(104-3, 104-4) can enter the meeting via a network connection 105 thatcan include the Internet. By way of example, a VoIP protocol or otherdata transmission approach can be used to transmit and receiveinformation in the teleconference. As stated previously, the conferencecan be a multi-media interactive experience enabling the transmissionand receipt of a full range of audio, video, image, interactive, andaugmented reality information, as well other information and data.

Such connections will enable communication and interaction with localmeeting participants that are attending the conference (104-5, 104-6)locally and are able to participate in the teleconference from an areaproximal to the conferencing system 101. In one example, the localparticipants will be in the conference room that is hosting the meeting.

A meeting coordinator 102 enables automated operation of theteleconferencing system. The meeting coordinator 102 is in communicationwith the conferencing system 101 using wired and/or wirelesscommunication. As shown in FIG. 1, the general components of a meetingcoordinator 102 include a processor 115 which can execute instructionsfor operating a user interface 111, a network interface 113, a memorymodule (having volatile memory 117 and non-volatile memory 119) andcommunication interfaces 114 that enable communication of thecoordinator 102 with external systems. The processor 115 can include aprocessing module that facilitates meeting coordination module 118,enabling various portions of the processes disclosed herein. The module118 can comprise one or more of a hardware module, a software module, ora firmware module each operative to enable the coordinator to performits meeting management operations. The various capabilities of themeeting coordinator 102 will be described herein. Methods describedbelow may be converted to instructions operable by processor 115 as wellas conferencing system 101 to enable the methods described herein to beexecuted and implemented.

Such coordinators can be embodied in multi-media devices. Generally, thecoordinator 102 can comprise any of a number of content presentation andinteraction devices, for example, tablet computers, touch screentablets, smart phones, personal digital assistants, and other associatedportable electronic devices. One example of such a device comprises aniPad produced by Apple, Inc., headquartered in Cupertino, Calif.

In one such implementation, calendaring information concerning ateleconference meeting is used to automatically initiate ateleconference meeting. The process can be implemented using a processormodule suitable for facilitating such a meeting. The module can be ahardware module, a software module, or a combination thereof enablingprocesses that enable the teleconferencing system to conduct themeeting.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment forinitiating a teleconference is now described. In particular, operationsof the meeting coordinator 102 are discussed.

At 201, calendaring information is accessed for use by the meetingcoordinator 102. This calendaring information generally includes a timefor a teleconference and a meeting location for the physical locationfor the conference. Moreover, the calendaring information may comprisethe identities of meeting invitees, the invitees being prospectiveattendees that are scheduled to participate in the meeting.Additionally, the calendaring information may include contactinformation for each of the meeting invitees. This contact informationcan comprise VoIP addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, andother information that enable an invitee to be joined to theteleconference. This information can be obtained from many sourcesand/or combination of sources. In some embodiments, the calendaringinformation can be obtained via a computer network 105 that can includethe Internet, local area networks, and the like. For example, theinformation can be gleaned from stored calendar information stored on acorporate network. For example, a corporate database of meetingschedules and attendees can be used to obtain the calendaringinformation. In another embodiment, the calendaring information can beaccessed from a local memory (e.g., non-volatile memory 109) resident onthe meeting coordinator 102. In another approach, the calendaringinformation is provided by a meeting organizer that provides theinformation before the teleconference meeting. This particularimplementation will be discussed in greater detail below.

At 205, the meeting coordinator 102 contacts the remote invitees andjoins them to the meeting using the contact information in thecalendaring information. For example, the conferencing system 101connects to a remotely located invitee 104-1 using a telephonicconnection. In another implementation a remotely located invitee 104-3can be connected to the meeting using a VoIP communication.

In addition, at 207 a roster of meeting participants is generated. Inone embodiment, all of the meeting invitees (e.g., 104-1, 104-2, 104-3,104-4, 104-5, 104-6) are used to populate a roster of prospectiveattendees. For example, the names of all of the remotely located meetinginvitees are added to the roster of meeting participants. In addition,the names of local invitees can also added to the roster. These localinvitees (104-5, 104-6) comprise those who have been scheduled orotherwise invited to attend the meeting by physical presence at themeeting location. By way of completeness, the roster can be expanded toencompass uninvited guests that join the meeting as needed. Thus, aroster of meeting participants is created.

At 209 the participation status of each participant is tracked. Thestatus can comprise a simple statement of attendance, for example anindication that an attendee is “in the meeting” for those present at themeeting location or remotely located participants that have beenconnected to the meeting. For attendees present at the meeting location,the status can be indicated as “in the room.” Additionally, the statuscan be indicated as “not in the meeting” which may characterize remoteinvitees that are not yet connected to the meeting or have becomedisconnected from the meeting as departed attendees. In addition, thestatus of “not in the meeting” can characterize local invitees that arenot yet in the meeting (typically at the meeting location) or have leftthe meeting (as departed attendees). In other embodiments, participationstatus can be further specified. For example, an invitee can have aparticipation status indicating an estimated time of arrival or simply astatement such as “on my way”. An invitee can submit other indicationsof participation status such as “I'm Busy,” “Cancel,” “Call Me Back(PSTN)”, and the like. Further details can be included as needed ordesired depending on the embodiment.

A further aspect of this disclosure is the automated and automaticgeneration of the roster. In order to present a more clear illustration,this aspect will be discussed in further detail elsewhere in thisdisclosure.

Additionally, the participation status is updated throughout the meetingwith the roster updated to show the entry and departure of meetingattendees. In particular, the tracking of whether participants enter andexit a meeting can be continually updated.

At 211, the roster information is provided for access to meetingparticipants. For example, this information can be viewed by the localmeeting attendees using a display screen of the meeting coordinator.Alternatively, the roster information can be viewed by the local andremote meeting attendees using display screens of the teleconferencesystem. Also, the information can be provided to mobile electronicdevices, for example, devices associated with the meeting participants.In one example, such a device can comprise a smart phone associated witha meeting participant. The participant can view the roster using adisplay of the phone. Other embodiments enable the display of thisinformation using any of a number of content presentation andinteraction devices.

As briefly mentioned above, various embodiments also comprise methodsand apparatus operable to increase the automated capacity of the system.In particular, the meeting attendees can be tracked in an automatedmanner vastly increasing the efficiency of the system.

In one implementation, meeting attendees can carry mobile electronicdevices to enable the automatic tracking of meeting participationstatus. The mobile electronic devices may include smartphones,wearables, and the like. The wearables may include headsets, watches,glasses, and the like, or any other any device capable of receiving abeacon signal and determining a signal strength thereof. The mobileelectronic devices may employ wireless communication technologies suchas Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Digital Enhanced CordlessTelecommunications (DECT), Wi-Fi, and the like. One embodiment of asystem enabling such automated tracking of meeting participation andproximity location is described with respect to FIG. 3.

In such an embodiment, a meeting location 301 can have the followingsystem arranged therein. Typically, such a meeting location is a roomsuitable for hosting a teleconference meeting. A teleconferenceconferencing system 101 as previously described can be arranged in theroom to operate as a meeting hosting system facilitating the meeting byoperating meeting peripheral devices (display screens, projectors,speakers, microphones, and the like) and also connecting remotelylocated meeting participants to the teleconference. A meetingcoordinator 102 (which may be as configured above) is also located atthe meeting location 301. As above the meeting coordinator 102 is incommunication with the conferencing system 101.

Additionally, FIG. 3 shows a beacon 303 that broadcasts a beacon signal304. In this particular embodiment, the beacon 303 broadcasts aBluetooth Low Energy signal 304 (also referred to as BLE, Bluetooth LEor Bluetooth Smart). Such signals may be compliant with IEEE 802.15;802.15.4-206. Other different beacon types and signals can be used, forexample including Bluetooth, DECT, Wi-Fi, and the like. The beaconsignal 304 enables a prospective attendee to determine whether they arelocated at the physical location of the meeting host, in particular, toidentify that they are at a location close enough to the hostconferencing system 101 to enable participation in the meeting. In mostcases that means in the same room as the conferencing system 101 andbeacon 303.

To further facilitate this embodiment, the beacon 303 may incorporate aunique identifier configured to enable discrimination from otherbeacons. In one embodiment the beacon 303 is characterized by a UUID (auniversally unique identifier) of a type generally known in the art. TheUUID identifies that the beacon signal 304 is associated with themeeting location 301. In some embodiments, the UUID for the beacon isincluded in the calendaring information associated with theteleconference meeting.

One aspect enables a participant to detect the beacon and enter themeeting while a mobile electronic device carried by the participantcommunicates to the meeting coordinator 102 that the participant is inthe meeting.

The following describes one approach for enabling this embodiment. Aprospective meeting participant 304-1 may have a mobile electronicdevice 120 on or near their person. The device 120 is configured toenable the participant's proximity to the meeting to be determined withsufficient accuracy. Once a determination is made that the device 120 isclose enough to enable the participant 304-1 to join in the meeting, amessage can be transmitted from the device 120 to the meetingcoordinator 102 enabling the coordinator 102 to update a roster toreflect that the participant 304-1 is in the meeting. This is achievedwithout manual input from any of the meeting participants. Thus, aseamless process is achieved.

Examples, of suitable devices 120 comprise devices that can receive abeacon signal, determine whether the beacon signal meets thresholdcriteria, and transmit a message announcing that a participant is in themeeting. Such devices can comprise a wide range of mobile electronicdevices. Wearable technologies such as a Google Glass® and Moto 360®(manufactured by Motorola) can be used, as can be devices like CuffLinc™(produced by Cuff, Inc. of California). Other wearable devices likesmart watches and headsets can be used. Tablet devices and PDA's canalso be used as can “smart phones” and other cellular communicationdevices. Such devices are generally described herein at various portionsof this specification.

FIG. 4 provides a general description of one embodiment suitable for usein automatically tracking participation of a meeting attendee. In acrowded office environment, there can be a number of different beaconsthat a device may detect. Using such beacons to determine proximity to ameeting location can create a number of sources of ambiguity indetermining the location of a mobile electronic device and thus of ameeting participant associated with such a device. This embodimentincludes a method of using context specific proximity location todetermine whether a meeting participant is in a correct location for ameeting and is participating in the meeting.

In a first embodiment, a mobile electronic device is configured toaccess calendaring information associated with the meeting. Thisinformation may include a time and location for a meeting (such as ateleconference meeting) and a unique identifier for a beacon associatedwith the meeting location. The calendaring information can also includethe identity of the scheduled meeting attendees (the meeting invitees)and contact information associated with those invitees.

At 401, the mobile electronic device 120 associated with a meetinginvitee 304-1 accesses the calendaring information. In response to aprompt or alert associated with a calendared meeting, a process becomesactivated. Such an alert can simply be a calendared alert that promptsthe mobile electronic device 120 at a time prior to the teleconferencemeeting. In this embodiment, the calendaring information can beretrieved from a memory of the mobile electronic device 120. Thecalendaring information can be retrieved from other sources.

At 402, the mobile electronic device 120 identifies the beaconassociated with the meeting based on the calendaring information. Thecalendaring information identifies the beacon associated with themeeting. For example, the calendaring information includes a UUID forthe beacon. Alternatively, the calendaring information may identify themeeting room, and the mobile electronic device 120 may perform a tablelookup or the like to ascertain the UUID for the beacon associated withthat meeting room

At 403, the mobile electronic device 120 begins scanning for the beaconassociated with the meeting location. The unique identifier enables themobile electronic device 120 to disambiguate the correct beacon fromother beacons and other signals. In one implementation, the scanning canbe done relatively infrequently, perhaps once every second. This lowscan rate enables battery power to be conserved for the mobileelectronic device 120. The scan rate can vary depending on theimplementation. As the mobile electronic device 120 becomes closer tothe beacon 303 (and thus to teleconference location 301) the beaconsignal strength increases. Once the signal strength becomes sufficientthe mobile electronic device 120 scan rate can increase. In oneimplementation the increased scan rate can be about ten times a second.These are implementation details that can vary substantially based onthe needs of the system and choices of the system implementers.

At 404, the beacon signal 304 is compared with a predetermined thresholdcondition to determine whether the mobile electronic device 120 (andthus the associated invitee) is located at the meeting location and thuswhether the associated invitee is in the meeting. The thresholdcondition can be a measured signal strength for the beacon signal 304 asreceived at the mobile electronic device 120. Such a signal strength canbe compared using a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value. Themeasured signal strength can be compared with the predeterminedthreshold signal strength value. When this condition is met the inviteecan be considered in the meeting. When the threshold condition is notmet, the scanning may continue. Filtering can be used to increase theaccuracy of such signal strength measurements. In one example, Kalmanfiltering can be used.

Additionally, the threshold condition can have a time component. Forexample, a specified signal strength must be exceeded for a specifiedperiod of time to confirm that the invitee is in the room. For example,a minimum signal strength must be exceeded for 15 seconds before theinvitee is considered in the room. Thus, at 404, when the threshold ismet, the invitee associated with the mobile electronic device 120 isconfirmed as being in the meeting (at 406).

In some embodiments, if the threshold condition is not met afterscanning for a specified time period, the scanning can be stoppedautomatically to save power.

The location of the mobile electronic device 120 and associated inviteecan be further confirmed using a secondary proximity confirmationprocess. In one approach, a second threshold condition can be used toconfirm that the mobile electronic device 120 is in the meeting. In oneembodiment, after the first threshold condition is met a secondthreshold condition must be satisfied. For example, once the firstthreshold condition is satisfied, the second threshold condition can beapplied to confirm location in the room. For example, the mobileelectronic device 120 is configured to detect the beacon signal 304again. For example a second signal strength threshold value can beemployed. The second signal strength threshold condition comprises ahigher RSSI value than the first, indicating that the mobile electronicdevice 120 is closer to the beacon 303 and thus the proximity to themeeting location is confirmed with a far greater degree of accuracy.Also, as with the first threshold described above, if the secondthreshold condition is not met after scanning for a specified timeperiod, the mobile electronic device 120 may determine that it is not inthe meeting. Additionally, in some embodiments, after that specifiedtime, scanning can be stopped to save power and reduce processingoverhead in the device 120.

In another approach, confirming (at 406) can be addressed differently.The meeting location can comprise a second beacon device. Referringagain to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 this embodiment is further described. Thesecond beacon device 313 can transmit a beacon 314 that is impededsubstantially by the walls of a meeting location (e.g., a conferenceroom). For example, some smart phones have receivers and/or opticalsystems that can receive light signals. In one example, the secondbeacon device 313 can transmit a light signal 314 detectable by themobile electronic device 120. In one implementation the mobileelectronic device 120 comprises a “smart” telephone having an infraredlight detector. Thus, a second beacon device 313 can broadcast aninfrared optical signal detectable by the mobile electronic device 120.This is advantageous because the optical signal 314 is not detectablefrom outside the meeting room and thus its reception provides aconfirmation of location with a high degree of certainty. Many suchimplementations can use light wavelengths invisible to the human eye. Inanother similar implementation, an audio signal can be used. Smartphones 120 have audio receivers as a matter of course and are welladapted to exploit this methodology. Again a second beacon device 313can transmit an audio signal 314 detectable by the mobile electronicdevice 120. In one implementation the broadcast audio signal 314 can beundetectable to a human ear and yet still detectable to the audioreceiver of the mobile electronic device 120 (e.g. the “smart”telephone).

Although disclosed with a beacon device arranged in a conference roomand the mobile electronic device 120 operating as a scanner, thearchitecture can be altered such that the mobile electronic device 120operates as the beacon device and the meeting coordinator 102 scans forthe beacon signals emanating from mobile electronic device 120.

Upon confirming that the device 120 (and associated participant) is inthe meeting, the mobile electronic device 120 provides an indicationthat the participant is in the meeting. For example, the device 120transmits a message announcing that the participant is in the meeting(at 408). The message is sent to the meeting coordinator 102, where theroster of meeting participants is updated to reflect whether theparticipant is in the meeting or not in the meeting (at 410). The rosteris suitably updated to reflect this status. This message may be sentusing wireless communication between the mobile electronic device 120and the coordinator 102. For example, cellular Bluetooth, Bluetooth LowEnergy, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Wi-Fi, andother forms of wireless communication can be used. The coordinator 102can then provide this information for consumption. This information canbe displayed on a display screen of the coordinator 102. Thisinformation can be transmitted to remote displays or sent to handhelddevices of the participants with a listing of participants that are inthe meeting and not in the meeting.

The participation status of a participant in a meeting can be trackedthroughout the meeting by interaction between the meeting coordinator102 and the mobile electronic device 120 of an attendee. Once a meetingparticipant has entered the meeting, his/her presence can be tracked. Inone example, a pulsed signal can be sent by the coordinator 102 to oneor more of the devices 120 of the participants at the meeting location.In response, the device 120 may send an acknowledgement signalthroughout the meeting. The interval between pulses is an implementationdetail comprising a wide range of possible intervals. If the coordinator102 does not receive the acknowledgement signal, the coordinator 102 canconsider the participant as being not in the meeting and treated as adeparted attendee. The roster can then be updated to reflect this newstatus.

Moreover, using this updated information embodiments of the system canaccomplish an number of added features.

In one embodiment, the updated information can be used to track inviteesthat are not in the meeting. When invitees are not in the meeting, theteleconferencing system 101 can attempt to directly contact the absentinvitees using the contact information from the calendaring information.Additionally, in some embodiments the participant mobile devices 120 canhave applications stored on the devices 120 that enable responses tothese direct contacts. For example, an absent invitee can send a messageannouncing that they are “on the way” or providing an estimated time ofarrival or a message stating that they will not attend the meeting, aswell as other relevant messages.

Additionally, when a participant departs a meeting, the coordinator 102can use the calendaring information to reconnect the departedparticipant if desired. For example, a participant may leave the meetingto go to another location, but still wishing to participate in themeeting while in transit. In one such example case, upon detecting aparticipant leaving the meeting, the coordinator 102 can access thecalendaring information and a mobile telephone number for the departingattendee and attempt to reconnect them to the meeting by contacting themusing the mobile telephone number. If the participant is reconnected, hecan be listed as a remote attendee and tracked as such on the roster.

In another embodiment directed to security concerns, when a participantenters the meeting location the coordinator 102 may send a command to aclient application resident on the participant's device 120 instructingit to shut down or terminate telephone calls or recording for theduration of the meeting, thereby preventing dissemination of meetinginformation through the device 120.

In another aspect, a mobile device 120 can be configured as a meetingorganizer. The calendaring information is stored on the mobile device120. The mode of operation of such a device 120 is similar to thatdescribed above, one difference being that once the mobile device 120configured as a meeting organizer arrives at the meeting location, thecalendaring information is transmitted from the mobile device 120 to themeeting coordinator 102 to enable the meeting.

The techniques described herein can be embodied on a tangiblenon-transitory computer readable medium for execution on processors ofvarious electronic devices including but not limited to mobileelectronic devices such as the meeting coordinator 102, theteleconferencing system 101, and the mobile devices 120 associated withthe participants, as well as others.

FIG. 5 provides a general description of one embodiment suitable forautomatically initiating a meeting with calendaring information storedon a mobile electronic device. In this embodiment, the mobile electronicdevice 120 is configured as a meeting organizer.

At 501, prior to a time for a meeting, the meeting organizer 120receives an alert that the teleconference meeting is to occur. In oneexample, this alert may provided by the calendaring information storedin the memory of the meeting organizer 120. This alert is used toactivate the system. In one example, the alert that triggers theactivation of the system is an ordinary reminder associated with acalendar program. In response to the alert, the mobile electronic device120 may access the calendaring information associated with the meeting.A beacon for the meeting location may be identified, for example fromthe calendaring information.

At 506, the organizer 120 transmits the calendaring information from themeeting organizer 120 to the meeting coordinator 102. This transmissionof data can be a secure data transmission using data encryption,password keys, or any of a wide variety of data security approaches.

At 508, using the contact information provided by the organizer 120 themeeting coordinator 102 communicates with the teleconferencing system101 to contact and join the remote attendees to the meeting. Using thisapproach, the coordinator 102 sets up the meeting and performs theancillary tasks such as noise cancelling and sending reminders tomeeting attendees that have not joined the meeting.

Additionally, at 510 a roster of participants is generated using thecalendaring information as well as information concerning guestparticipants and updates. Such a roster is generated and updated asindicated in detail herein above.

In another embodiment, proximity location can be determined using anumber of beacons or, more generally, “position dismbiguators” thatassist in enabling proximity detection and position location of aparticipant. These can assist in proximity detection for meetinginvitees and also prospective participants that were not necessarilyinvited to the meeting.

In one such embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a “smart conference room”can be used to facilitate a meeting. For example, the smart conferenceroom can comprise a teleconference meeting location 601. Such a meetinglocation is a space (typically a room) suitable for hosting ateleconference meeting. A teleconference conferencing system 101, aspreviously described, can be arranged in the room to operate as ameeting facilitator. As described above, the system 101 can enable themeeting by connecting remotely located meeting participants to theteleconference and can assist in operating meeting peripheral devices(display screens, projectors, speakers, microphones, and the like). Ameeting coordinator 102 (which can be as configured above) is alsolocated at the meeting location 301. As above, the meeting coordinator102 is in communication with the conferencing system 101 and also cancommunicate with mobile electronic devices 120 associated with a meetingparticipant.

Additionally, FIG. 6 shows two position disambiguation systems 611, 612.Although this embodiment shows two, more can be employed. Suchdisambiguation systems can comprise beacons using wireless signals,audio signals, optical systems as well as other types. Physicalproximity devices can also be used. For example, access entry systemsand other associated proximity systems can be used. For example, an RFIDentry access system can be used to assist in accurate proximity sensing.

In the present embodiment a first beacon device 611 is shown. In thisimplementation, the first beacon device 611 is arranged in the meetinglocation 601, and may employ, for example, the wireless technologiesdescribed elsewhere herein. As before, the beacon device 611 has aunique identifier enabling its beacon signal 621 to be distinguishedfrom others. This unique identifier can be associated with the beacondevice 611 in calendaring information associated with the teleconferencemeeting. The first beacon signal 621 is intended to be detectableoutside of the meeting location 601.

Additionally, a second disambiguation device 612 can be arranged near anentrance to the room 601. This second disambiguation device 612 isreferenced in this disclosure as a “trigger” or in some cases a “triggerbeacon.” It is generally only detectable when a participant is veryclose to the entrance 610 of the meeting location. In thisimplementation, a second Bluetooth beacon is used as the second triggerbeacon 612 located at an entrance 610 to the room 601. Any sort of nearproximity detection apparatus can be used to enable this trigger 612.

Additionally, this embodiment can include a third locationdisambiguation. This third disambiguation can be accomplished by aseparate reading taken from one of the other disambiguation devices orby a third disambiguation device 613. In this embodiment, the thirddisambiguation apparatus enables a proximity confirmation method. In thedepicted embodiment, the third disambiguation device 613 comprises thefirst beacon device 611, but the first beacon device 611 is configuredsuch that in operation it can only be detected from inside the meetinglocation 601. This is shown diagrammatically by a second signaldetection radius 622 that is configured to be detectable within the roombut not outside the room.

Although, this implementation can be used to track scheduled meetinginvitees and determine whether they are in the meeting, this embodimentis particularly well suited to assisting in proximity location forunscheduled or guest meeting participants 604.

The following describes a method embodiment suitable for utilizing thesmart conference room 601 to enable the tracking of participation statusof a participant 604. Although disclosed with a beacon device arrangedin a conference room and the mobile electronic device 120 operating as ascanner, the architecture can be altered such that the mobile electronicdevice 120 operates as the beacon device and the meeting coordinator 102scans for the beacon signal emanating from mobile electronic devices120.

At 701, a scan is initiated seeking the first beacon signal 621emanating from the first beacon device 611 arranged at a predetermineddestination. In this case, the destination is the smart teleconferencingroom 601.

A great deal of power can be consumed by scanning for rooms using amobile electronic device 120 (here associated with a prospective meetingparticipant 604). Accordingly, an embodiment uses an initial triggeringevent to prompt the device 120 to initiate the scanning for theappropriate beacon 611.

One approach to initiate scanning is described as follows. Even though aprospective meeting participant is not invited to a meeting he/she maystill want to attend. In one embodiment, the prospective participant cansimply manually implement a scan seeking the destination 601.

In another approach calendaring information accessible from theparticipant's mobile device 120 can be used to prompt scanning. Eventhough not invited, the prospective participant still can have access tomeeting calendaring information. For example, if a list of meetings isstored on the participant's device 120, the participant 604 can stillreceive a prompt that a meeting is scheduled to occur even if theparticipant 604 is not scheduled for the meeting. A calendar reminderaccessed from a mobile electronic device 120 can indicate a meeting timeand place for a meeting that the participant 604 would like to attend(or is scheduled to attend). The reminder can be configured to initiatethe scanning at 701. Such a prompt will typically occur at or before ameeting time, for example, just prior to the meeting, but can occur atany time before or during the meeting. As indicated, the prompt can beautomatic in response to a calendared event or the participant caninitiate the prompt.

As before, the unique identifier enables the mobile electronic device120 to disambiguate the correct beacon from other signals. To savepower, the initial scanning can be done infrequently at a low scan rate.However, as the mobile electronic device 120 becomes closer to thebeacon 611 (and by association to teleconference location 301) thebeacon signal strength increases. Once the detected signal strengthsurpasses some predetermined level, the polling (scanning) rate canincrease. The actual implementation details can vary substantially basedon the needs of the system and choices of the system implementers.

At 703 a first proximity to the meeting location is confirmed. In oneembodiment, the received beacon signal 621 is compared with a firstpredetermined threshold condition to determine whether the mobileelectronic device 120 (and thus the associated invitee) is determined tobe operatively close to the meeting location (a first proximity to themeeting location). As before, the threshold condition can be a measuredsignal strength for the beacon signal 621 received at the mobileelectronic device 120. When the first threshold condition is satisfied anext process can be initiated at 705. When the threshold is not met, thescanning may continue. As mentioned above, signal filtering can be usedto increase the accuracy of such signal strength measurements.

As previously mentioned the threshold condition can be time related. Forexample, in order to confirm a desired first proximity to the meetinglocation 601, a specified signal strength must be exceeded for aspecified period of time to confirm that the prospective participant islocated at the desired first proximity to the meeting location 601.Thus, when the threshold is met, the prospective participant associatedwith the mobile electronic device is considered to be confirmed at thedesired first proximity to the meeting location 601 (Step 703). Wherethe condition is not satisfied (for example, the device 120 merely movespast the room and continues to another destination) the scanning ratecan slow or stop automatically to save power.

Thus, once the first condition is satisfied (and the device 120 deemedoperatively close to the meeting location) the first proximity isconsidered confirmed. The confirmation of the first proximity activatesa “trigger system,” that is, operates as a precipitating event for asecond proximity disambiguation event.

Accordingly, at 705 the process comprises scanning for a second triggerbeacon. In this embodiment, a beacon 612 (comprising a trigger beacon)is arranged at the entrance 610 of the meeting location 601. In thisembodiment, the trigger beacon 612 can be a very low power beaconcapable of detection from only a very short distance from the beacon612. Alternatively, a threshold condition for the trigger beacon 612 canbe set very high such that it is met only when a scanning device 120 isvery close to the trigger beacon 612.

As with the other beacons, the second trigger beacon 612 can have a UUIDenabling unique identification. This information can be stored inassociation with other information concerning the meeting location 601and can also be included as part of the calendaring information ifdesired. As described above, the scanning rate for the trigger beacon612 can be increased until proximity is confirmed. Additionally, thescan can have a timer configured such that if proximity is not confirmedwithin a specified time period the scan rate can decrease and/or stop.

At 707, during scanning, a second proximity location is confirmed whenthe device 120 reaches the desired second proximity to the second beacon612. This can be accomplished in a manner similar to the processesdescribed above, e.g., the scanner 120 compares the received signal fromtrigger beacon 612 to a threshold condition. When the condition issatisfied, it confirms a second proximity to the trigger beacon 612 (andby association, the door 610). Additionally, in one embodiment, thetrigger beacon strength can be set so low that the mere fact that thescanning device 120 detects it is the threshold condition that confirmsproximity to the beacon 612 and door 610. The position of the triggerbeacon 612 near the door 610 increases the likelihood that a participantis actually in the room rather than outside the room but merely close tothe room. One example of a useful threshold is one where the mobileelectronic device 120 is within 3 meters of the door 610.

In another embodiment, the proximity location process can be facilitatedby a disambiguation device that is not a “beacon” but can be a proximitypaired device such as those used in entry access systems. In oneexample, an RFID entry access device 612 can be positioned at the entry610 to the meeting location such that the user mobile electronic device120 recognizes that it is at a second proximity to the meeting locationand confirms that the device 120 is at the second proximity.

At 709, the confirmation of proximity to the second trigger beacon 612activates a “confirmation system” to initiate a scan for a thirdconfirmation beacon 613. In this embodiment, the first beacon 611comprises the third confirmation beacon 613. This process functionssimilarly to the scanning process used at 701 above. In this embodiment,the mobile electronic device 120 scans for a confirmation beacon 613that is the same beacon as the first beacon 611 and uses the same beaconsignal.

At 711, a third location proximity is confirmed and the participant isdeemed to be “in the meeting” at the meeting location 601. Once thetrigger initiates scanning, the mobile electronic device 120 uses athird threshold condition to determine a third proximity to confirm thatit is present at the meeting location 601. In one embodiment, thethreshold can be set very high such that it can be satisfied only whenthe mobile electronic device 120 is in the room 601 with the beacon 613.The threshold may be set high enough so that it cannot be detectedoutside the room. A feature is that both the second trigger beacon 612and the third confirmation beacon 613 have been detected eliminatingfalse determinations of presence in the room 601.

In another implementation the first beacon 611 can be a completelydifferent beacon from the third beacon 613 and may have differentfrequencies, power, UUID, and/or position than the first beacon 611. Forexample, the third beacon 613 may employ light frequencies, audiofrequencies, and the like. The trigger may put the scanner in a mode formonitoring for these alternative frequencies and identifiers.

Upon satisfying the third threshold condition, the mobile electronicdevice 120 and its participant are considered in the meeting.

At 713 upon confirming that the device 120 (and associated participant)is in the meeting the mobile electronic device 120 provides anindication that the participant is in the meeting. For example, aspreviously described above, the device 120 transmits a messageannouncing that the participant is in the meeting. The message isreceived by the meeting coordinator 102. As before, the roster ofmeeting participants is updated to reflect the presence of theparticipant in the meeting. If the new participant is a “guest” (anuninvited participant) the roster can be expanded to include the guestparticipant and track his status as well.

Another embodiment enables voice identification to identify localspeakers. During a conference call, identifying which speaker isspeaking poses some challenges. Speakers in the room can easily identifywho is speaking in the room by simply observing and listening. Moreover,remote speakers are relatively easily determined by identifying theremote connection providing the voice or data feed to the conferenceroom. Also, where the remote speaker is in a video conference he isreadily identified by observing the video feed of the speaker. However,for a remote conference participant it can be difficult to determine whothe speaker is in the conference room.

Efforts have been made to enable voice identification but have provedchallenging in a real-time environment and can be computationally quiteintensive. However, various embodiments can bring this to a manageablelevel by using the roster and tracking of attendees of the meeting toenable more effective voice and speaker recognition.

Using any of the approaches above, the automatic roster generation andparticipation status tracking features can be performed. Thus a rosterof meeting participants is identified. From that roster, theparticipants that are attending the meeting locally in the room (e.g.,MR, 301, 601 and other suitable smart conferencing locations) aredetermined. This enables a list of local participants to be generated.For these local participants a set of prerecorded unique digital voicesignatures can be accessed. The accessed voice signatures enable digitalvoice recognition. Accordingly, during a conference as each localparticipant speaks, the speaker's voice can be compared with a sub-setof prerecorded unique digital voice signatures associated with only thelocal participants to ascertain the identity of the speaker. Using onlythose voice signatures for the local participants greatly reduces thetime and computational power required to identify the local speaker.This speaker identity information can be provided to remote participantssuch that the remote participants can know who is speaking in the room.In some embodiments, the system may track and log the degree ofparticipation of each attendee, for example reporting how much eachparticipant contributed during the meeting.

The following FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a process embodimentsuitable for enabling this technology.

At 801 an automated room set up process is performed, for example asdescribed in the discussions of FIGS. 1-7 above.

At 803 a roster of meeting participants is generated using any of theembodiments described above as well as other methods known to those ofordinary skill in the art.

At 805, the participation status of the participants is tracked. Thisincludes determinations of whether participants are in the meeting ornot in the meeting and from which location each participant attends themeeting. The method tracks which participants are located at thephysical location of the teleconference meeting (e.g., MR, 301, 601).Embodiments enabling such tracking are disclosed in detail in priorparagraphs of this disclosure. These and other methods can be used totrack the physical location of meeting participants.

At 807, prerecorded voice profiles for meeting participants areaccessed. These profiles can be recorded at any time prior to themeeting. These profiles are constructed to enable voice recognition whencompared to an actual spoken voice. The profiles can be analogrecordings or digital files constructed to effectively identify aspeaker.

The profiles can be stored at a number of locations. For example, theprerecorded voice profiles can be stored in the memory systems of anetwork (e.g., 105 of FIG. 1) accessible to a meeting coordinator (e.g.,102 of FIG. 1). In an alternative, the voice profiles can be storeddirectly in the memory of the meeting coordinator 102 or even in thememory of the mobile devices 120 of various meeting participants. Theroster is then used to identify which participants are local to themeeting location. Then a sub-set of prerecorded voice profiles isaccessed. The sub-set may comprise voice profiles only for the attendeeslocated at the meeting location.

At 809, the identity of the speaker is determined. In the process alocal meeting participant speaks and a voice processor compares thespeaker's voice with the subset of prerecorded voice profiles anddetermines the identity of the speaker. Because the sub-set of voiceprofiles includes only the participants locally attending the meeting,the processing is not as intensive as may otherwise be required.

In one embodiment, a digital signal processor of the meeting coordinator102 receives voice data from the speaker, compares the voice data withthe available sub-set of voice profiles and determines the identity ofthe speaker.

A number of different methodologies can be used to perform speakeridentification. Such methodologies can include, but are not limited to,frequency estimation, hidden Markov models, Gaussian mixture models,pattern matching algorithms, neural networks, matrix representation,vector quantization, and decision trees. Some systems can also use“anti-speaker” techniques, such as cohort models and world models.Digital signal processing may be applied to compare the speaker's voiceto the pre-recorded data to determine the identity of the speaker.

In another approach speaker identification can be done using the mobileelectronic devices 120, which can perform speaker identification in thesame manner as indicated above. In an alternative embodiment, the device120 can store one or more prerecorded voice profiles for the participantassociated with the device 120. In such an approach, when a speaker inthe room speaks, each device 120 may compare the speaker's voice to thevoice profile(s) stored thereon. Where no match is found, the device 120performs no action. However, where a device 120 matches the speaker tothe profile, it can send a message to the meeting coordinator 102announcing that the speaker is the participant associated with thedevice 120.

At 811, the identity of the speaker is provided to the remoteparticipants enabling them to identify the speaking participant. Thecoordinator 102 may transmit messages to the remote participantsenabling them to determine the speaker. For example, the roster may beupdated to indicate which participant is speaking.

These embodiments have been particularly shown and described withrespect to certain implementations and features. However, it should benoted that the above-described embodiments are intended forillustration, not limitation of scope.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile electronic device 900which may operate in embodiments of the disclosed technology. Suchdevices can comprise a wide range of devices including personalelectronic devices. Examples include but are not limited to, cellulartelephones, tablet devices, personal digital assistants (PDA's), musicplayers, lap top or other portable computer devices, wearables such asheadsets and watches, and the like. Exemplary electronic circuitry of amobile device is depicted. The mobile device 900 includes one or moremicroprocessors 912, and memory 1010 (e.g., non-volatile memory such asROM and volatile memory such as RAM) which stores processor-readablecode which is executed by one or more processors of the controlprocessor 912 to implement the functionality described herein. Suchprocessors can have a plurality of modules dedicated to achievingspecified operation. Such modules can be specific hardware structures orsoftware applications or programs or firmware applications or programs.

Mobile device 900 may include, for example, processors 912 and memory1010 including applications and non-volatile storage. Applications mayinclude the software for the user interface 918. The processor 912 canimplement communications, as well as any number of applications,including the interaction applications discussed herein. Memory 1010 canbe any variety of memory storage media types, including non-volatile andvolatile memory. A device operating system handles the differentoperations of the mobile device 900 and may contain user interfaces foroperations, such as placing and receiving phone calls, text messaging,checking voicemail, and the like. The applications 1030 can be anyassortment of programs, such as a camera application for photos and/orvideos, an address book, a calendar application, a media player, anInternet browser, games, other multimedia applications, an alarmapplication, other third party applications, the interaction applicationdiscussed herein, and the like. The non-volatile storage component 1040in memory 1010 can contain data such as web caches, music, photos,contact data, scheduling data, prerecorded voice profiles, calendaringinformation, beacon information, and other files.

The processor 912 also communicates with RF transmit/receive circuitry906 which in turn is coupled to an antenna 902, with an infraredtransmitter/receiver 908, with any additional communication channels1060 like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and with a movement/orientation sensor 914such as an accelerometer. Accelerometers have been incorporated intomobile devices to enable such applications as intelligent userinterfaces that let users input commands through gestures, indoor GPSfunctionality which calculates the movement and direction of the deviceafter contact is broken with a GPS satellite, and to detect theorientation of the device and automatically change the display fromportrait to landscape when the phone is rotated. An accelerometer can beprovided, e.g., by a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) which is atiny mechanical device (of micrometer dimensions) built onto asemiconductor chip. Acceleration direction, as well as orientation,vibration and shock can be sensed. The processor 912 furthercommunicates with a ringer/vibrator 916, a user interface keypad/screen918, one or more speakers 1020, a microphone 922, a camera 924, a lightsensor 926 and a temperature sensor 928. The user interface, keypad andscreen may comprise a capacitive touch screen in accordance withwell-known principles and technologies.

The processor 912 controls transmission and reception of wirelesssignals. During a transmission mode, the processor 912 provides a voicesignal from microphone 922, or other data signal, to the RFtransmit/receive circuitry 906. The transmit/receive circuitry 906transmits the signal to a remote station (e.g., a fixed station,operator, other cellular phones, etc.) for communication through theantenna 902. The ringer/vibrator 916 is used to signal an incoming call,text message, calendar reminder, alarm clock reminder, or othernotification to the user. During a receiving mode, the transmit/receivecircuitry 906 receives a voice or other data signal from a remotestation through the antenna 902. A received voice signal is provided tothe speaker 1020 while other received data signals are also processedappropriately.

Additionally, a physical connector 988 can be used to connect the mobiledevice 900 to an external power source, such as an AC adapter or powereddocking station. The physical connector 988 can also be used as a dataconnection to a computing device and/or various embodiments of thecontrollers 100 described herein. The data connection allows foroperations such as synchronizing mobile device data with the computingdata on another device. A GPS transceiver 965 utilizing satellite-basedradio navigation to relay the position of the user applications isenabled for such service.

The example computer systems illustrated in the figures include examplesof computer readable storage media. Computer readable storage media arealso processor readable storage media. Such media may include volatileand nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, cache, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, memory sticks orcards, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, a media drive, a hard disk,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to store the desired information and which canaccessed by a computer.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a suitable computing systemenvironment 1000 which may be used in the foregoing technology as any ofthe processing devices described herein. Multiple computing systems maybe used as servers. In one implementation it can comprise thecoordinator 102. The system described in FIG. 9 may serve as thecoordinator 102 as well. The system can support the operation of thesmart conferencing systems disclosed throughout.

With reference to FIG. 10, an exemplary system for implementing theinvention includes a general purpose computing device in the form of acomputer 1001. In one instance, the teleconferencing system 101 cancomprise the computer 1001 described herein. Components of computer 1001may include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 1002, a systemmemory 1003, and a system bus 1021 that couples various systemcomponents including the system memory to the processing unit 1002. Thesystem bus 1021 may be any of several types of bus structures includinga memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bususing any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus.

Computer 1001 may include a variety of computer readable media. Computerreadable media can be any available media that can be accessed bycomputer 1001 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media,removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatileand nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can accessed by computer 1001.

The system memory 1003 includes computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 1031and random access memory (RAM) 1032. A basic input/output system 1033(BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer informationbetween elements within computer 1001, such as during start-up, istypically stored in ROM 1031. RAM 1032 typically contains data and/orprogram modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presentlybeing operated on by processing unit 1002. By way of example, and notlimitation, FIG. 10 illustrates operating system 1034, applicationprograms 1035, other program modules 1036, and program data 1037.

The computer 1001 may also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,FIG. 10 illustrates a hard disk drive 1004 that reads from and writes tonon-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 1051that reads from and writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk1052, and an optical disk drive 1055 that reads from and writes to aremovable, nonvolatile optical disk 1056 such as a CD ROM or otheroptical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatilecomputer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operatingenvironment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes,flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solidstate RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 1041 istypically connected to the system bus 1021 through a non-removablememory interface such as interface 1004, and magnetic disk drive 1051and optical disk drive 1055 are typically connected to the system bus1021 by a removable memory interface, such as interface 1005.

The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed aboveand illustrated in FIG. 7 provide storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and other data for thecomputer 1001. In FIG. 10, for example, hard disk drive 1041 isillustrated as storing operating system 1044, application programs 1045,other program modules 1046, and program data 1047. Note that thesecomponents can either be the same as or different from operating system1034, application programs 1035, other program modules 1036, and programdata 1037. Operating system 1044, application programs 1045, otherprogram modules 1046, and program data 1047 are given different numbershere to illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A usermay enter commands and information into the computer 20 through inputdevices such as a keyboard 1062 and pointing device 1061, commonlyreferred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (notshown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish,scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connectedto the processing unit 1002 through a user input interface 1006 that iscoupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interface andbus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serialbus (USB). A monitor 1091 or other type of display device is alsoconnected to the system bus 1021 via an interface, such as a videointerface 1009. In addition to the monitor, computers may also includeother peripheral output devices such as speakers 1097 and printer 1096,which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 1009.

The computer 1001 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer1008. The remote computer 1008 may be a personal computer, a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andtypically includes many or all of the elements described above relativeto the computer 1001, although only a memory storage device 1081 hasbeen illustrated herein. The logical connections depicted here include alocal area network (LAN) 1071 and a wide area network (WAN) 1073, butmay also include other networks. Such networking environments arecommonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets andthe Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1001 isconnected to the LAN 1071 through a network interface or adapter 1007.When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1001 typicallyincludes a modem 1072 or other means for establishing communicationsover the WAN 1073, such as the Internet. The modem 1072, which may beinternal or external, may be connected to the system bus 1021 via theuser input interface 1006, or other appropriate mechanism. In anetworked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer1001, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storagedevice. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 10 illustratesremote application programs 1085 as residing on memory device 1081. Itwill be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary andother means of establishing a communications link between the computersmay be used.

The present invention has been particularly shown and described withrespect to certain preferred embodiments and specific features thereof.However, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments areintended for illustration, not limitation of scope. Therefore, as isreadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, various changesand modifications in form and detail may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this disclosure as set forth in the appendedclaims. Other embodiments and variations to the depicted embodimentswill be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined in thefollowing claims. Further, reference in the claims to an element in thesingular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitlystated, but rather, “one or more”. Furthermore, the embodimentsillustratively disclosed herein can be practiced without any elementwhich is not specifically disclosed herein.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented indigital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware,software, or in combinations thereof. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in a computer program product tangiblyembodied in a computer-readable storage device for execution by aprogrammable processor. The described processes can be performed by aprogrammable processor executing a program of instructions to performfunctions by operating on input data and generating output. Embodimentsof the present disclosure can be implemented in one or more computerprograms that are executable on a programmable system including at leastone programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system,at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computerprogram can be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-orientedprogramming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; andin any case, the language can be a compiled or interpreted language.Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and specialpurpose microprocessors. Generally, processors receive instructions anddata from a read-only memory and/or a random access memory. Generally, acomputer includes one or more mass storage devices for storing datafiles. Such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disksand removable disks, magneto-optical disks; optical disks, andsolid-state disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodyingcomputer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatilememory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, suchas EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such asinternal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; andCD-ROM disks. Any of the foregoing can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). Asused herein, the term “module” may refer to any of the aboveimplementations.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, variousmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for accurately determining movement of amobile electronic device relative to a predetermined meeting location,the method comprising: scanning for a first beacon signal emanating froma first beacon located at the predetermined destination while the mobileelectronic device is outside the meeting location; detecting the firstbeacon signal; confirming detection by the mobile electronic device ofthe first beacon signal; responsive to confirming said detection of thefirst beacon signal, scanning for a second beacon signal emanating froma second beacon while the mobile electronic device is moved toward orinto the meeting location; confirming detection by the mobile electronicdevice of the second beacon signal; responsive to confirming saiddetection of the second beacon signal, scanning for a third beaconsignal while the mobile electronic device is located inside the meetinglocation; confirming detection by the mobile electronic device of thethird beacon signal; and responsive to confirming detection by themobile electronic device of the third beacon signal, generating amessage announcing that the mobile electronic device is at the meetinglocation.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the meeting locationcomprises a room where the teleconference meeting is to be conducted;the first beacon is located inside the room; the second beacon islocated at an entrance to the room; and the third beacon signal emanatesfrom the first beacon or from another beacon located inside the room. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein confirming detection of the first beaconsignal comprises: comparing the first beacon signal with a thresholdcondition, wherein responsive to the threshold condition being met,proximity within a first range to the meeting location is confirmed. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein scanning for the second beacon signalcomprises: increasing a scan rate of the scanning for a specified periodof time; responsive to not confirming the detection of the second beaconsignal within the specified period of time, reducing the scan rate; andresponsive to confirming the detection of the second beacon signalwithin the specified period of time, initiating the scanning for thethird beacon signal.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein confirmingdetection of the third beacon signal comprises: comparing the thirdbeacon signal with a different threshold condition, wherein responsiveto the different threshold condition being met, presence of the mobileelectronic device in the meeting location is confirmed.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein: comparing the first beacon signal with the firstthreshold condition comprises measuring a signal strength for the firstbeacon signal, wherein the first threshold condition comprises a firstrelative signal strength indicator (RSSI) value, and wherein the firstthreshold condition is met when the signal strength for the first beaconsignal exceeds the first RSSI value; and comparing the third beaconsignal with the different threshold condition comprises measuring asignal strength for the third beacon signal, wherein the differentthreshold condition comprises a different RSSI value, and wherein thedifferent threshold condition is met when the signal strength for thethird beacon signal exceeds the different RSSI value.
 7. The method ofclaim 6 wherein the third beacon signal and the first beacon signalemanate from the first beacon and wherein the first RSSI value is lessthan the different RSSI value.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst beacon signal comprises a Bluetooth signal and wherein the thirdbeacon comprises one of an optical signal or a sound signal.
 9. Themethod of claim 5 wherein the first beacon signal comprises a Bluetoothsignal and wherein the generated message is configured as one of awireless message or a cellular telephone message.
 10. The method ofclaim 5 wherein the generated message is transmitted to a meetingcoordinator system and can be used to track meeting participation statusfor meeting participants.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein initiatingthe scan for the first beacon signal is in response to a prompt by acalendar event identifying that a teleconference meeting is to occur atthe predetermined meeting location.
 12. A mobile electronic deviceconfigured to determine whether the device is at a teleconferencemeeting location, the predetermined mobile electronic device comprising:a receiver; a transmitter; a memory for storing data; a processor forexecuting computer readable instructions, the processor comprising agross proximity module that enables, identification of a meeting timeand the teleconference meeting location; identification of a firstbeacon located at the teleconference meeting location, wherein the firstbeacon is configured to transmit a first beacon signal; the receipt ofan alert at a time prior to the meeting time; responsive to the alert,initiating a scan for the first beacon signal; confirmation that themobile electronic device is at a first proximity to the teleconferencemeeting location; an intermediate proximity module that enables,activating a trigger system affirming that the mobile electronic deviceis at a second proximity to the teleconference meeting location whereinthe second proximity is closer to the teleconference meeting locationthan the first proximity; a confirmation proximity module that enables,upon affirmation by the trigger system that the mobile electronic deviceis at the second proximity to the meeting location, scanning for a thirdbeacon signal emanating from a third beacon located at the destination;confirmation that the mobile electronic device is at the meetinglocation; and a meeting participation status module that enables, uponconfirming that the mobile electronic device is at the meeting location,generating a message announcing that the mobile electronic device is atthe meeting location, and transmitting the message announcing that themobile electronic device is at the meeting location to a meetingcoordinator that updates meeting participation for the meeting; andwherein: a second beacon is located proximal to the meeting location:and the intermediate proximity module further enables scanning for asecond beacon signal emanating from the second beacon, and confirmingthe second proximity to the second beacon responsive to a signalstrength for the second beacon signal exceeding a relative signalstrength indicator (RSSI) value.